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"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ... a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).

Saturday, December 7, 2013

The NINE Author Interview - Hold on to your hat!

NINE authors. NINE settings covering THREE continents. ELEVEN chapters. ONE jet-set, tricky dog. A crèche with pieces collected from across
the globe. And RUBY, the heroine who travels around the world, and brings back
JOY for Christmas at the ranch.

I (metaphorically) sat down with (most of) the authors of
this fun Christmas Novella. Here’s what we talked about:

Why
participate in a multi-author project like this?

Marji: Besides the
opportunity for me, as a new writer, to earn a publishing credit, I've loved
getting to know my other co-authors. And I'm blown away by how the Lord weaves
our chapters together to create a moving, cohesive story!

Dianne: I spend most my time writing nonfiction
and I really want to write some fiction. It was challenging to work off of
someone else’s brainstorming and story, and to make my part of it fit. But it
has been a most amazing journey that has touched me personally in many ways.

Ruth: Because
it's fun!! And also because I get to work with some amazing authors.

What makes Ruby's Christmas special?

Dianne: I’m not sure how to
answer that question for anyone else but me. This story has touched me
personally because some points in my life paralleled Ruby’s. You can read about
it here.

Phee: I think
Ruby's life was somewhat joyless before her father sent her on the quest for
the nativity. As she found each piece, she also learned more about Jesus, who
is the source of joy.

Ruth: I love
the idea of her collecting pieces of the nativity from locations all around the
world. That makes her crèche valuable in ways that money can't buy.

Julie: Ruby is
special due to her foreign travels. That was challenging to coordinate and
required a lot of creativity on the parts of the authors.

Who will the story appeal to?

Dianne: The
story will appeal to anyone struggling through the loss of a loved one,
searching for what’s most important in life, and who has faced some of life’s
fire.

Phee: All the
people who don't want to let the busy Christmas season overwhelm them.

Ruth: Families.
I know a lot of families who look for things to read together during the
holidays. It is clean and family friendly.

Fay: A Ruby Christmaswill appeal to those folks who love to settle down in front of the television
and watch the Hallmark Movie Channel Christmas movies. Ruby is a sweet tale
with just enough romance blended in.

What is your greatest passion when it comes to writing?

Ruth: Stirring
people's emotions. I think Ruby will do that.

Julie: To go beyond entertaining and leave a
meaningful message in readers' hearts.

Fay: Layering
plots into story.

Jennifer:
painting with words and evoking a response.

What is your favorite nativity set - one you own or one
you've seen? Do you have any special Christmas memories involving a nativity
scene?

Marji: We have a
little stuffed scene, well-worn and well-loved. My oldest girl would carry
around Baby Jesus like a treasure, both hands close to her body. Such a
precious memory. But one of my favorites, a scene I pinned up on Pinterest is
made up of S'mores! What an eye-catcher!

Julie: My
favorite "nativity set" is actually like the one in the story. We've
had a couple of different sizes. One of our German exchange students brought
the big one (2ft tall) over as a gift from her parents. I love setting it up every
year.

Ruby
Joy Buckner, cowgirl, has never left the Lone Star State, but at her father’s
request, she takes her faithful canine companion and travels the world in
search of Nativity pieces. As Ruby collects the pieces, she also collects a few
unexpected surprises, including an awareness of the beauty in other cultures,
and quite a menagerie of new friends, thanks in part to Yippee Ti Yi Yo who
charms everyone they meet. Ruby’s budding awareness of life outside Texas opens
her eyes to a world of whimsy, and the Nativity pieces she collects are
unusual. Will her father approve her eclectic collection … and the changes that
travel brought to Ruby’s life?

This year, the same publisher has brought together many of
the same authors (and a few new ones!) for a new Christmas story, A Ruby Christmas. The first 9
chapters will be published via blog, one each business day for the first two weeks in December. Then the entire novella (with the 10th and 11th chapters)
will be available for free kindle download December 13-16 and available for sale after
that.

Mark your calendars for the kindle release date and the
first of FOUR FREE days on Amazon: December 13.

As a
special bonus for all the readers who persevered to the end of this post, I
have a closing thought from the publisher of A Ruby Christmas, Tracy Ruckman: I love our joint
projects like A Ruby Christmas and The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt.
God always manages to surprise me with the final outcome. During the
development of A Ruby Christmas, I came to know our authors on a
different level. I am so appreciative of their talent, creativity, dedication,
and hard work – lots and lots of hard work. My favorite football coach, Bear
Bryant, said, “There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and
success.” That describes our journey this year with A Ruby Christmas. I
pray this story touches the hearts and funny bones of readers all around the
world.

Prize Rules

Winners will be announced in the day's comments or in the Weekly Wind-up post at the beginning of each week. All winners have one week to claim their prize by contacting us. Sorry, we only ship within the USA. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.